Accidents may happen during a child’s day. We deal with a variety of injuries in the office on a daily basis, many of which are easily attended to with a band aid or ice.
Of special concern are any injuries to a child’s head. New legislation has come into effect recently which is designed to protect and provide education regarding the dangers of head injuries and concussions.
The Bumped Head Bracelets program silently alerts adults in the building and parents/caregivers at home that the student has bumped their head and should be monitored for any indications of concussion.
If a student reports that they have bumped their head, the following steps take place at school:
- student is sent to the office;
- school staff will assess the injury;
- a phone call to parent/emergency contact will be made to inform of the incident;
- parents may make the decision to pick their child up from school;
- if the student remains at school, they will wear a yellow bracelet for the remainder of the day.
Parents are responsible for reporting any head bumps that take place outside of school hours to the school office for staff to monitor. In all instances of a head bump, students should be monitored closely. Daily communication will take place between the school and home.
Please see the information below to let you know what symptoms of concussion are and what you should watch for.
Signs and Symptoms of Suspected Concussion
| Possible Signs Observed | Possible Symptoms Observed |
| A sign is something that is observed by another person. | A symptom is something the student will feel/report. |
| Physical – Vomiting – Slurred speech – Slowed reaction time – Poor coordination or balance – Blank stare/glassy-eyed/dazed or vacant look – Decreased playing ability – Loss of consciousness or lack of responsiveness – Lying motionless on the ground or slow to get up – Amnesia – Seizure or convulsion – Grabbing or clutching head | Physical – Headache – Pressure in head – Neck pain – Feeling off/not right – Ringing in the ears – Seeing double or blurry/loss of vision – Seeing stars, flashing lights – Pain at physical site of injury – nausea/stomach ache/pain – Balance problems or dizziness – Fatigue or feeling tired – Sensitivity to light or noise |
| Cognitive – Difficulty concentrating – Easily distracted – General confusion – Cannot remember things that happened before and after the injury – Does not know time, date, place, class, type of activity in which they were participating – Slowed reaction time (e.g., answering questions or following directions) | Cognitive – Difficulty concentrating or remembering – Slowed down, fatigue or lower energy – Dazed or in a fog |
| Emotional/Behavioural – Strange or inappropriate emotions (e.g., laughing, crying, getting angry easily) | Emotional/Behavioural – Irritable, sad, more emotional than usual – Nervous, anxious, depressed |
| Other – __________________________ | Other – __________________________ |
